Juntas ruling Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso agree to create joint security force

The three countries all share borders in the conflict-hit Sahel region and their security forces fighting jihadi violence are overstretched (Sophie Garcia/AP)

A joint security force announced by the juntas ruling Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to fight the worsening extremist violence in their Sahel region countries faces a number of challenges that cast doubt on its effectiveness, analysts have said.

Niger’s top military chief, Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barmou said in a statement after meeting with counterparts on Wednesday that the joint force would be “operational as soon as possible to meet the security challenges in our area”.